“Hey, everyone.” Mia came into the house holding Beau’s hand. “I want you to meet Beau Martin.” She made introductions, and he shook hands with each person, even little Sam and Taylor.
Stevie was just a tad bit jealous in that moment. She had never gotten to take a boyfriend home to meet her mother and father. She had attended her junior and senior proms as a single girl and had only stayed long enough to have her picture taken in front of the backdrop for the theme of the prom. Those were two of the pictures still hanging in the hallway of her house.
“Beau, you can go visit with the guys in the living room while I help Mama get dinner on the table. I hope you like ham,” Mia said.
“I love home-cooked anything, but ham is about my favorite dinner,” Beau said with a smile, “and don’t worry about me, Mia. I like to visit about ranching.” He sat down on the floor in front of the twins, who were still in their carriers. “Can I take one or both of them out and hold them? I’m really good with babies. I’ve got a niece who’s about this age, and a nephew who’s a little older. I’m their favorite uncle.”
“Sure,” Jesse said. “They’d love a little extra attention.”
“Wow!” Stevie whispered as she locked arms with Mia and the two of them headed toward the kitchen. “Is he real? Jesse already likes him.”
“How can you tell?” Mia asked.
“By his expression. His eyes are twinkling like yours do when you are playing with your little brothers,” Stevie said.
“I hope you’re right, because I really do like Beau.” Mia stepped away from her when they reached the kitchen and started setting the table.
“What can I do to help?” Stevie asked.
“You can take the ham out of the oven and slide in the sweet potato casserole,” Pearl said. “Then you can slice the ham. The electric knife is in the cabinet under the bar.”
Addy hip-bumped Mia. “Why haven’t you brought Beau home before now?”
“Because I’m not rushing into anything, ever again, amen,” Mia answered. “Not even with him, even though he seems like a really good guy. He’s the youngest of three kids, and his brother and sister are, like, ten years older than he is. I’m the oldest of three, and according to the internet, that’s supposed to be a perfect match. But I’m not taking any chances, not even when statistics say everything is fine and dandy.”
“Good girl,” Pearl said. “But, darlin’, you need to listen to your heart, not to the internet.”
“You are so right, Nana,” Mia agreed, “and my heart says to go slow, to build a friendship before a relationship.”
“Yep, that love stuff only lasts a little while every day, but friendship takes you through the tough times.” Pearl brought out a loaf of homemade bread and sliced it.
“Are you talking about love or lust?” Mia asked.
“Honey, you can call it whatever you want, but marriage is not another word for sex. Marriage is a sacred agreement between two people to live together and love each other through good times and bad and through poverty or riches. It’s about sticking together side by side even when you want to shoot him and throw his sorry carcass out for the coyotes’ supper,” Pearl told her.
“Nana!” Mia gasped. “You never felt like that about Poppa. Y’all have had a perfect marriage.”
Pearl stopped what she was doing and gave Mia a hug. “You just keep believing that. I wouldn’t burst that bubble for all the dirt in Texas.”
“She’s right,” Addy said, “and as much as I love your father, there are times when he’s lucky that he’s not breakfast for the coyotes.”
Mia’s blue eyes almost popped out of her head. “Mama! I thought you and Daddy never had a disagreement.”
“We don’t”—Addy took a bowl of cranberry salad from the refrigerator and put it on the table—“at least, not in front of the family. We settle our differences in the bedroom and then have amazing makeup…”
Mia stuck her fingers in her ears and started singing, “Fa-la-la-la.”
Stevie laughed so hard that she had to peel a paper towel from the roll and dry her eyes with it. “How do you…” She finally got control, then got the hiccups. “Think you got here, Mia? Parents do have sex.”
“I know all that, but I don’t want to hear about it from my mama”—she shot a look over at Pearl—“or from my nana. I want to think that they found their kids under a cabbage plant in the garden or else the stork brought them on a stormy night. And besides, this is a first date with Beau. I’m not going to marry him or anyone else next week.”
“Well, thank God for that!” Addy wiped her forehead in a dramatic gesture that was obviously fake. “I was worried about having to get a wedding planned in just seven days.”
That comment made Stevie’s thoughts go toward a wedding of her own. Would she want a long engagement, maybe live with a guy for six months or a year before they took that mile-long walk down the aisle? Would she even want the big dress and the wedding cake, or would she rather just take an hour out of the day and go to the courthouse?
“Oh, Mama,” Mia sighed. “You don’t have a thing to worry about. When I get married, I want the whole enchilada—the big dress, the flowers, and the cake. I want to have music and dance with my groom, and then with Daddy while you dance with the groom. I don’t want to elope, and believe me, I will give you a lot longer than a week to plan the wedding.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Addy said, “but for today, let’s get Sunday dinner on the table before those men start whining about starving to death.”
Mia opened the oven and took out the sweet potato casserole. “Did I tell you that Beau likes to cook, and he fixes supper almost every night for his grandpa? Vernon never learned how to cook and was kind of lost after Beau’s granny died.”
“Sounds like Sonny.” Pearl carried a platter of sliced bread to the dining room table. “It’s a good thing he’s got you girls and his sons to look after him if I die before he does. I insisted that my boys learn how to cook, clean house, and do laundry. Good thing I did since they’re slow about getting married.”
“Thank you for doing that,” Addy said. “I’m going to teach Sam and Taylor to do all that too. I’m sure my sisters-in-law would love it if my brothers could cook. I don’t think either of them knows how to even start a washing machine.”
Stevie thought about the two serious relationships she had had in the past. One of those men had been a chef at a fancy restaurant, and he hadn’t wanted her to even enter the kitchen in his apartment. The other, a fellow veterinarian, couldn’t boil water without burning it. In both cases, it hadn’t been a question of whether he could cook or not that caused the breakup. But if she ever had sons, she agreed with Pearl and Addy. Guys needed to be able to do normal, everyday things for themselves.
Just like Cody does, she thought.
As if on cue, Cody appeared in the doorway and asked, “Can I do anything to help y’all?”
“You can tell all those guys to get their hands washed and come to dinner,” Pearl said, “and help your father, only don’t let him know you’re helping.”
“Will do,” Cody said with a nod.
Beau was the first one to come into the kitchen. “Where am I supposed to sit? It’s been a long time since I sat down to a meal with more than two people at the table.”
“You can sit by me.” Mia took his hand and led him to the back side of the dining room table. “We should have invited Vernon.”
“He’s having dinner down at the diner with his buddies like he does every Sunday after church,” Beau said. “Sometimes, I go with him. I’ve learned a lot from those wise old guys.”
“Like what?” Jessie brought in the babies and helped Addy get them strapped into their high chairs.
“Like what to do in a drought, the difference in big round bales and small ones when it comes to feeding in the winter, when to plow, and when to expect the cows to start dropping calves. Then there’s the stories they tell about when they were young men just
starting out and all the hardships and the good times they had,” Beau answered.
Sonny took his place at the end of the table and hung his cane on the back of the chair. “You are a smart kid to know how to listen and learn.”
“Thank you for that, sir, but sometimes, I’m not so smart when it comes to patience. I’m learning, but it’s sure not easy. When does that happen?” Beau pulled out a chair for Mia and seated her before he sat down.
“You’ll have to ask someone older than me,” Sonny chuckled.
When everyone was settled into their places, Addy said, “Sonny, will you say grace for us?”
“I thought maybe Beau could do that for us,” Sonny answered with just a hint of a smile on his face.
Stevie had no doubt this was a test, but Beau simply smiled and said, “It would be an honor.” He bowed his head and said a short grace, thanking God for the beautiful day, the family, and the hands that prepared the meal. When he said, “Amen,” Sonny was nodding, and Mia was smiling, even though her face was slightly red.
“Thank you, son,” Sonny said. “Now, let’s get this food passed around the table. I do love me some good ham. Tomorrow, I bet that Addy uses the ham bone to make us up a pot of red beans.”
“You are so right,” Addy said, “and some fried potatoes and whatever is left over from today’s dinner to go with them.”
“Do you put the ham bone in when you start the beans or wait until you add water the first time?” Beau asked.
“From the beginning,” Addy answered.
“And you always save the bacon drippings from breakfast to use for the potatoes,” Mia added.
“That’s what Mama taught me, but I’ve never used ham for red beans. I bet Grandpa would love them fixed that way.” Beau took the sweet potato casserole from Mia and scooped out a portion onto his plate. “Would it be all right if Mia shows me around the ranch after dinner? I’d love to see the alpacas and get a tour of the place.”
“Of course,” Sonny answered.
“Another test passed with flying colors,” Cody whispered for Stevie’s ears only.
“Why’s that?” Stevie asked.
“Because he asked permission,” Cody said out the corner of his mouth. “Mia’s got a keeper there.”
Stevie gave him a brief nod, and wondered if she had a keeper in Cody, or if this thing between them was just a flash in the pan.
Chapter Seventeen
Mia came into the bunkhouse, threw her coat over the rocking chair, and with a long sigh flopped down on the sofa. Stevie knew there were unspoken words behind that sigh, and they were not good. She’d done the same thing too many times to count since she was Mia’s age.
“Coffee, tea, or beer?” Stevie followed Mia’s example, and removed her coat but took it to her bedroom.
“Beer, unless you’ve got whiskey hiding here somewhere,” Mia answered.
“Beer it is.” Stevie headed to the kitchen. She’d seen Cody give Mia beer but never hard liquor, so evidently that was all right in the Ryan family. She took two long-neck bottles from the refrigerator, twisted the tops off both, and carried them to the living area.
Mia reached up, took one from her, and downed about a fourth before she came up with a loud burp. “Beau would probably tell me that was cute, instead of saying that ladies don’t do that.”
“So, what’s the problem?” Stevie sat down in the rocking chair on the other side of the beat-up coffee table.
“He’s too perfect.” Mia sighed again. “Mama likes him. Daddy and Poppa think he hung the moon, and I want to like him. I really do.”
“But?” Stevie asked.
“He’s even rich.” Another long sigh, and she downed more of the beer. “He works at the feed store so he can get to know other ranchers, and he takes online classes to learn more about ranching, and his grandpa has already told him that when he dies, his big ranch will go to Beau,” Mia groaned.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Stevie asked.
“He won’t ever ask me for my money, and he’s doing everything he can to learn to be a good rancher. He’s a good man, but there’s no sizzle like there was with Ricky. I wanted there to be, but it’s just not there,” Mia said. “Do you think it’s because he’s not as sexy as Ricky? Or maybe I’m just drawn to bad boys, and good guys don’t do jack squat for me.”
Stevie could commiserate with Mia. On so many of her dates, the sizzle, whether real or imagined, she thought she would feel with Cody wasn’t there either. “I don’t think it has to do with whether a guy is tall, dark, and handsome or even a little bit of a bad boy. It’s…” She stopped when a hard knock on the door broke her concentration.
Mia set her beer on the table and hopped up from the sofa. “I’ll get it. Justine was coming over this evening. Mama probably sent her down here.”
“Tell her to come on in,” Stevie said.
Mia raced across the floor and threw open the door. “Come on in,” she said and then, “Beau?”
Stevie eased up out of the chair and tiptoed to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her. Mia needed privacy to sort things out with Beau. But when it was over, she would be there to help Mia explain to her folks how, even though he was perfect, Beau just wasn’t for her.
She stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling. After a while, things were really quiet out in the main part of the bunkhouse, and the breakup, if it could be called that, was most likely over. She dressed in her pink sweats—a color that her mother said redheads should never wear—and put on a pair of fuzzy socks.
“Stevie, are you awake?” Mia’s whisper came through the door.
“I’m on my way out if Beau is gone,” Stevie answered.
“Yes, he is,” Mia answered.
Stevie couldn’t tell from the sound of her voice if she was relieved or sad about the decision she had made, but either way, she would probably want to talk about it. Stevie slung open the door and found Mia slouched on the sofa just like before.
“Did he take the news badly?” Stevie asked.
“Nope.” Mia’s blue eyes had gone from the worried look they had half an hour before to downright dreamy.
“You didn’t tell him, did you?” Stevie asked. “Mia, you can’t lead him on…”
“I’m not.” Mia’s face lit up in a smile. “I had left my gloves in his truck when we came home from church, and he brought them back to me. I invited him in and was honest with him, and he said he understood. I walked him to the door and tripped over Tex when he came running inside, and…”
“And what?” Stevie asked.
“He reached out and kept me from falling, then cupped my face in his hands, and…” Mia frowned just slightly. “Ricky was the same height as me, so he never had to raise my face for a kiss, but anyway, Beau kissed me, and there wasn’t a sizzle. It went beyond that to pure heat. We wound up making out for a long time, and my knees went weak, and my heart was thumping.”
“Did Ricky ever do that for you?” Stevie asked.
“Not like Beau did.” Mia picked up her beer and downed the rest of it. “With Ricky it was kind of like I was flirting with something dangerous—something that Mama wouldn’t approve of. With Beau, it was a totally different feeling, but from all the stuff I’ve read about relationships, I shouldn’t be comparing one with the other.”
“That’s right, but when you’ve only had someone like Ricky in your life, that makes it kind of tough, doesn’t it?” Stevie asked.
“Yes. I need chocolate.” Mia got up and headed for the kitchen.
“There’s chocolate cookies in the jar, and a package of miniature candy bars on the counter. I hope they are still good. I got them from the pantry in my flooded house. I’m glad the adjustor has come and gone so I can go in and save what I can, and then make a decision about how to redo the house,” Stevie said.
Mia returned with the whole package of candy and a bowlful of cookies. “I’m going to have some milk. Want a glass?”
“Oh, yeah! And maybe a third and fourth and twenty-fifth.” Mia poured two glasses of milk and brought them to the living area. “But with this much passion, what happens when we have an argument?”
“Then you have amazing makeup sex like your mama told you about.” Stevie took a glass from her, picked up a cookie, and dipped it in the milk.
Mia followed her example and dipped her cookie. “Did you and Uncle Cody have makeup sex in the barn? He said you were cranky, and y’all argued a lot.”
“Nope,” Stevie answered. “We’re older and a lot more cautious than you two kids are.”
“I’m nineteen and Beau is twenty-one,” Mia argued. “We’re not really kids.”
“No, I guess you aren’t,” Stevie said.
“How do you know if a guy is the one?” Mia asked.
“You’ll have to ask someone more experienced than I am,” Stevie answered.
“I guess we can find out together,” Mia said with a grin.
“Maybe so,” Stevie said.
Mia finished off a handful of chocolate, half a dozen cookies, and her milk, and then said, “I should be going. I know Mama and Nana are going to want to ask me all kinds of questions about Beau. I’m not going to tell them I had doubts there at first.”
“Then I won’t say a word about that either,” Stevie said. “I’m just glad you got it all figured out and didn’t lose an opportunity to get to know him even better.”
“Me too,” Mia said as she slipped her arms into her coat and shoved her stocking hat down over her dark hair. “Like I told Mama, I’m not in a hurry, but it will be nice to have a boyfriend—a real one who treats me and the family right. See you later.”
Oh, to be young, Stevie thought, but before she could argue with herself over the cons of being nineteen again, Cody arrived bearing a brown paper bag that he set on the table. “Addy sent leftovers for supper.”
Stevie got up and unloaded the bag. “There’s enough food in here for two or three days.”
Texas Homecoming Page 18
